Drilling barge



W. A. CLARK DRILLING BARGE July 1, 1952 Filed Dec. 25. 1949 .Z. w F1 .1.

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W/L /AMA C ARK BY WM ATTQINEYE' Patented July 1, 1952 DRILLING BARGEWilliam A. Clark, Larchmont, N. Y., assignor to The Texas Company, NewYork, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application December 23, 1949,Serial No. 134,791

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a drilling barge adapted for movement throughnarrow waterways or channels and for drilling oil wells in lake bottomsand other submerged lands.

The invention broadly contemplates a submersible submarine drillingbarge having mounted thereon a superstructure of well drilling equipmentincluding a derrick, adapted for movement by floating through narrowwaterways and also adapted for seating on a submerged area. The drillingbarge comprises separate elongated submersible hulls displaced insubstantially parallel relationship to each other and having a workingplatform supported in elevated relation on the barge so as to standabove water when the barge is resting on a submerged area. Means areprovided for effecting lateral displacement of one floating hullrelative to the other independent of the superstructure. Means are alsoprovided for maintaining the hulls in rigid displaced relationship.

One of the present inherent characteristics of drilling barges, which isdisadvantageous, is the width of beam. This is necessary to accommodatedrilling equipment permanently set in place. This great widthnecessitates construction of wide water channels in order to move thebarge from one location to another. The construction of such channels orwidening of natural waterways for passage of the conventional bargeoften entails considerable extra expense, particularly in those areaswhere the land is covered with forests or woods.

Accordingly. the present invention involves a modification of theconventional barge design rendering it possible to. retract the width ofthe barge so that it can be floated through relatively narrow channelsor waterways. Thus the invention contemplates employing a bargecomprising two relatively long hulls joined together by rigidturnbuckles or horizontal jacks set between the hulls. For setting overa well location the hulls are separated by the jacks to form thefamiliar slot through which to drill. Suitable rigidity as well assupport for the rotary table is accomplished by means of heavy gatesplaced across the slot between the two hulls.

After completion of the well, the barge is refloated and withdrawn fromover the well head, the gates being removed or swung back and the widthof the barge contracted by means of the turnbuckles or jacks. Theequipment and derrick are provided with runners, rollers or wheels tofacilitate sliding along rails or tracks fastened to and extendingacross the platform of one or both hulls as the hulls are drawn togetheror moved apart, as the case may be. By this means the width of the bargemay be contracted as much as ten feet or, for example, from fortytwofeet when the twin hulls are displaced to thirty-two feet when they arebrought together.

In order to describe the invention more fully, reference will now bemade to the figures of the accompanying drawing. 7

Figure l is a plan view of a drilling barge with the two hulls drawntogether.

Figure 2- is a sectional elevation of the barge in the position ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the barge with the two hulls displaced andsubmerged.

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of the barge in the position of Figure3.

In Figure l, the numerals l and '2 designate the two hulls lockedtogether by turnbuckles 3.

The numerals 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d designate the four feet of a conventionalderrick 4, the base of which is indicated in Figure 2. The feet 4a. and4b are rigidly attached to the platform -5 comprising the top of thehull 2.

The legs 40 and 4d of the derrick are slideably supported by tracks 1extending across the platform 6 of the hull l Tracks 8' extend acrossthe platform 5 of bull 2 providing slideable sup port for legs 40!. and4b of the derrick.

The numeral Ill designates a conventional draw works such as iscustomarily employed in conventional well drilling practice. This drawworks is likewise slideably supported on tracks H and I2 extendingacross the platform 6 of the hull l.

The numeral l5 designates a gate member hingeably attached to onevertical corner It of the hull 2 while the numeral ll designates asimilar gate member hingeably mounted at the vertical corner 1'9 of theadjacent hull.

Asillustrated in Figure 2, the hulls I and 2 are floating on a body ofwater 20 and the lower portion of each hull contains ballast tanks orcompartments 23 and 24 into which sea water may be introduced throughsea cocks not specifically indicated. Thus provision is made for flowingwater into the compartments or ballast tanks to sink the hulls, therebycausing them to bottom upon the submerged area 2| after the mannerdisclosed in the Giliasso Patent No. 1,681,533.

Compartments 25 and 26 above the aforesaid ballast tanks may be usedadvantageously for housing pumps 21 and 28 or other heavy equipment andapparatus.

rest at the outer longitudinal edges of the platform sections. The drawworks I0 is drawnover so that it rests mainly on the platform of thehull I.

It, of course, will be understoodvthat.provision may be made foradjusting the buoyancy of all sections of the hulls and for disposingmovable drilling equipment about the platform sections so that the bargewill at all times be maintained-v in a vertical and upright position.

Figure 3 shows the barge when the two hulls l and 2 are laterallydisplaced for submerging upon the submerged surface of the earth. As; isindicated, thegates l5 and H are swungabout into closed position so thatthey lockinto contact with the adjacent corner of the adjacent hull.

Also, as indicated in Figure 3, additional gate members 35 and 31 may beinserted between .the

central portions of the displaced hulls so .as to further increase therigidity of ethe displaced hulls and platform section s.

Any number of these. gatemembershmay. be used as desired. Also, it iscontemplated that the gate members. maybe of either solid ,oropenconstruction. Solid construction can bev used where it is desired toclose off thespace between the displaced hulls and thusprevent..movement of water therethrough.

Movable platform sections or walkways 49 can be placed across the spacebetween the displaced hulls so that when the hullsnare in displacedposition a substantially continuous platform surface is provided.

As indicated in Figure 4,, thedispl'acedhulls are resting on thesubmerged surface .of the earth as a result of the introduction of.water into the ballast tanks. Thedraw works it) occu-. pies a positioncorresponding toabout themiddle of the barge. The feet lo-and 4dof thederrick l occupy a position near the. inner. longitudinal edge of thehull platformta However-,; itis contemplated that if it is desired thederrickmay be centered laterally of the submerged barge, using tracks 8provided on the platform 5 for ,thederrick feet Ala and 41).. Likewise.provision can be made for centering the draw works; and hoistingmachinery.

While not indicatedin. thedrawing, it Willa-be understocd tha t thesetracksand rollersor-other sliding mechanisms may be designed so as tohold the derrick feet down upon the tracks. and thus prevent tippingoverof. the derrick.

As indicated in- Figure-3, a .movabledri-lling mud tank ,til can besuspended. or supported within the space between the displacedhulls...

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the invention, ashereinbefore-set forth, may be made without departing from-thespirit-and scope thereof, and therefore onlysuch limitations should beimposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A Submersible submarine drilling barge hav ing mounted thereon asuperstructure comprising well drilling equipment including a derrickand draw-works adapted for movement by floating through narrow waterwaysand also adapted for seating on a submerged area comprising a pair ofseparate elongated submersible hulls disposed in substantially parallelrelationship to each other, a section of working platform mounted inelevated'relation on and rigidly attached to-each hull to stand abovethewater when the hull is submerged and adapted to support saidsuperstructure, the two feet on one side of said derrickbeing attachedto the platform section of one hull, tracks extending laterally acrossthe platform sectionof the other hull to provide slideable supportingmeans for the two feet on the opposite side of said derrick, separatetracks extending laterally across one of said platform sections toprovide slideable support for said draw-works, means for efiectinglateral displacement of one hull relative to the other independently ofsaid superstructure and means for maintaining said hulls in rigiddisplaced relationship.

2. Asubmersible submarine drilling barge having mounted thereon asuperstructure comprising well. drilling equipment including a derrickand draw-works adapted for movement by floating through narrow waterwaysand also adapted for seating on a submergedarea comprising a pairofseparate elongated submersible hulls disposed in substantiallyparallel relationship to each other,-a section ofworking platformmounted in elevated relation on and rigidly attached to eachhull' tostand above the water when the hull is submerged and adapted tosupport-said superstructure, the two feet on one side of said derrickbeing slideably; attached to the platform section ofone hull, tracksextendinglaterally across the platform section of the other hull toprovide slideable. supporting means"v for the two feet on-theopposite.side .of said derrick, separate tracks extending laterally across onevof said platform sectionstoprovidev slideable support for saiddraw-works, .meansfor effecting lateral displacementofone. hull relative,to the other independently of said superstructure and means formaintaining .said. hulls in rigid displaced relationship.

3. A submersible.drillingbarge having mounted thereon a superstructurecomprising well drilling equipmentincluding :a derrick and draw-worksadapted formovementby floating through narrow-waterways and .alsoadapted for seating on a submerged area comprising a pair of separateelongated submersible hulls disposed in substantially parallelrelationship to each other, a section oi -working platform mounted inelevated relation on and rigidly attached to each hull so as to standabove the water when the hull is submerged andadapted to support saidsuperstructure, the two-feet on one side of said derrickbeingattached-to: a platform section of one hull, tracks extendinglaterally acrossthe. platform section of the other hull to provideslideable supporting means for the two feet on the opposite side ofsaidderrick, means for effecting lateral displacement of one hullrelative to the other independently of said structure and. means formaintaining said hulls in rigid displaced relationship', saidlastmentioned means comprising at least one vertical gatebetween adjacentsides of-said hulls andlhingeably attached to one of saidhu'lls. i'

4. A submersible drilling barge having mounted thereon -a superstructurecomprising well drilling equipment including a; derrick and drawworksadapted for movement by floating through narrow waterways and alsoadapted for seating on a submerged area comprising a pair of separateelongated submersible hulls disposed in substantially parallelrelationship to each other, a section of working platform mounted inelevated relation on and rigidly attached to each hull so as to standabove the water when the hull is submerged and adapted to support saidsuperstructure, the two feet on one side of said derrick being attachedto a platform section of one hull. track extending laterally across theplatform section of the other hull to provide slideable supporting meansfor the two feet on the opposite side of said derrick, separate tracksextending laterally across one of said platform sections to provideslideable supports for said draw-works., means for efiecting lateraldisplacement or one hull relative to the other independently or saidstructure and means for maintaining said hulls 20 REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 1 Date 819,691 Constantene May 1, 19061,632,491 Matthiessen et a1. June 14, 1927 1,635,730 Tromanhauser July12, 1927 2,334,992 Crake Nov. 23, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country 1Date 4,091 Great Britain Oct. 15, 1878

